Tips On Throwing An Award-Winning OscarParty (NAPSA)—Since they were first televised, the Academy Awards have been a grand occasion for friends and movie fans to gather, gawk at the fashions, predict the winners and listen to a speech or two. Because the ceremonies are seen by more than a billion people worldwide, Oscar parties have become events in and of themselves. Here are a few suggestions for making your Oscar party memorable and for getting your guests caught up in the excitement: 1. Roll out the red carpet— Create your own version of the awards show by ordering custom awards and presenting them in such categories as Best Outfit, Best Catty Remark, Best Nosh (if you're doing things potluck-style) or to the winner of your in-house Oscar pool. 2. The custom of costumes— Mix it up by inviting your guests to play dress-up! Insist that people come as film characters—such as the wine snobs from “Sideways,” the dashing Howard Hughes from “The Aviator” or the scrappy female boxer from “Million Dollar Baby.” 3. Dim the lights—Treat the ceremony as an expedition to the movies. Create invitations that resemble movie tickets and get yourself an old-style usher outfit. Serve popcorn, soda, hot dogs and boxed candy—and be sureto take crying babies to the lobby. No matter what the theme of your party, you can make ita And the winneris...your guests, when you pour a little creativity into your annual Oscarparty. truly interactive experience by having your guests register for the Movies.com Oscar Party Challenge. By entering their choices, people can take part in the “Players’ Picks,” a real-time snapshot of whoplayers are predicting will win in the top eight categories. Participants are eligible for a chance to win $5,000 to throw the ultimate Oscar party next year, a trip to Los Angeles and other fun prizes. Movies.com also offers a Buzz Board that tracks Oscar-related news and buzz, and visitors can sign up to receive weekly e-mails outlining the top Oscar news, plus nominee profiles. In addition, the site features a special multimedia section with galleries for all nominated films, playlists of trailers andclips for all nominated films, plus movie and Oscartrivia you can use to quiz your guests. To find out more, visit the Web site at www.movies.com.
